Do we get fingerprint traits from our parents?

Demonstrated by Dalton Ervin2009

Are there similar patterns in fingerprints between parents and

children?

• The general shape or overall pattern of finger and palm prints can be inherited. Family members will often have similar patterns or designs (whorls, loops, etc.) on the same fingers of their hands. The tiny details in the fingerprint ridges, however, are not inherited and are different between all friction skin areas of all persons... even between twins.

My project is to see if my fingerprints are more like my mom’s or dad’s and

then to compare my siblings too.

Fingerprinting the Family

Male Ervin Fingerprints Female Ervin Fingerprints

Used to look at fingerprints

Juneau Police Department Fingerprinting Cards

My Dad, Officer Brian Ervin, helped our family to fingerprint on official police cards.

What to we use fingerprints for?

• We need fingerprints for the police to find bad guys.

• Fingerprints help police officers find lost children and take them home.

Were there any similarities?

• Based upon quick, basic comparisons, it appears that Dad and Maren have very similar patterns, and Mom, Darcy, Dalton, and Gunnar have similar patterns.

First Known Fingerprints

Fingerprints have been found on ancient Babylonian clay tablets, seals, and pottery. They have also been found on the walls of Egyptian tombs and on Minoan, Greek, and Chinese pottery — as well as on bricks and tiles in Babylon and Rome. Fingerprints were also used as substitutes for signatures. The first mention in history of the uniqueness of fingerprints and their use as an identification system was in the holy Quran Islam 1430 years ago.

Mom helped Dalton fix his board

Sources of Information• Juneau Police Department• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5BDARpBcz8&feature=

PlayList&p=968A78234EE56D32&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=10

• http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%3Fei%3DUTF-8%26p%3Dfingerprints&w=500&h=566&imgurl=www.humanhand.com%2Fimages%2Ffingerprints.jpg&size=45.6kB&name=fingerprints.jpg&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.humanhand.com%2Flaymans.html&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.humanhand.com%2Flaymans.html&p=fingerprints&type=jpeg&no=1&tt=73%2C274&oid=b51fbd9c677b2ad4&tit=fingerprints.jpg&sigr=115k7tq5e&sigi=119ardeks&sigb=11m4sha34#FCar=89bb5c5301896f98

Additional Sources• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fingerprint• http://www.teachingk-8.com/archives/how_to/

how_toidentify_fingerprints_and_animal_tracks.html• http://www.fbi.gov/kids/k5th/whatwedo2.htm• http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F

%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26fr%3Dslv8-msgr%26va%3Dfingerprints%26sz%3D&w=500&h=304&imgurl=i213.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc6%2FClover1980%2FMis%2Fkirlian-fingerprints.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fs213.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc6%2FClover1980%2FMis%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3Dkirlian-fingerprints.jpg&size=10k&name=kirlian-fingerpr...&p=fingerprints&oid=4b47c969da10bbc2&no=14&tt=81684&sigr=132eosirn&sigi=127i09os8&sigb=12tkokgv8

• Schoodoodle.com

Acknowledgements

• I would like to thank my Dad, Officer Brian Ervin, Wendy Ervin, Darcy Ervin, Maren Ervin, Gunnar Ervin, and Onyea Sholty for helping me.